Chisel plow

ABSTRACT

A rigid wheeled frame supporting or carrying gang type, earthengaging and working chisel or shovel plow, wherein the wheel mounts are vertically adjustable and lockable in adjusted position with relation to a traversed surface or earth to be, or being worked, and cultivated; the frame, in all positions of vertical adjustment being maintained level and the draft-tongue of the wheeled frame concurrently automatically adjusted to compensate for effected changes in the particular height adjustment of both the frame and earth-working devices carried thereby, thus assuring proper hitching to, and towing, by a tractor or other draft vehicle with the frame and earth-working devices level, when active and/or inactive, when traveling to or from a cultivating project over a rough or uneven way and having adjustable brackets providing multiple mounts for supporting a plurality of cultivating devices at equally spaced intervals.

United States Patent [191 Baughman et al.

m1 2 3,812,919 [4 1 any 28, 1974 CHISEL PLOW Inventors: Herbert W.Baughman, Vermont;

Harry G. Yetter, Colchester, both of 111. 61484 Filed: June 1, 1973Appl. No.: 366,152

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 225,180, Feb. 10,1972, abandoned.

US. Cl 172/328, 172/417,' 280/414.5 Int. Cl. A0lb 59/00, AOlb 65/06Field of Search 172/326-328,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1953 Pursche .f. 172/328 X10/1956 Scheidenhelm 172/328 X 3/1965 Newkirk 172/417 X 12/1966 Tsuchiyaet al 172/328 X 5/1967 Morkoski et al 172/328 4/1972 Fackler et al172/328 X Primary ExaminerRobert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Paul TLSewell Attorney, Agent, or FirmMann, Brown McWilliams & Bradway [5 7ABSTRACT A rigid wheeled frame supporting or carrying gang type,earth-engaging and working chisel or shovel plow, wherein the wheelmounts are vertically adjustable and lockable in adjusted position withrelation to a traversed surface or earth to be, or being worked, andcultivated; the frame, in all positions of vertical adjustment beingmaintained level and the drafttongue of the wheeled frame concurrentlyautomatically adjusted to compensate for effected changes in theparticular height adjustment of both the frame and earth-working devicescarried thereby, thus assuring proper hitching to, and towing, by atractor or other draft vehicle with theframe andearth-working deviceslevel, when activean'd/or inactive, when traveling to or from acultivating project over a rough or uneven way and having adjustablebrackets providing multiple mounts for supporting a plurality ofcultivating devices at equally spaced intervals.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I 1 CHISEL PLOW This is a continuation, ofapplication Ser. No. 225,180, filed Feb. 10, 1972 now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, generally, toimprovements in wheeled plows or cultivators, particularly, tothe'wheelequipped rigid frame type, carrying a multiplicity ofappropriate earth-working and cultivating devices, as for example,so-called chisel or shovel plows, etc., provided with verticallyadjustably rotary crank-axle operated wheel mounts and cultivatorcarrying frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of agriculture, specifically,in cultivation of the soil of fields, wheeled cultivators or tillagedevices are frequently required to travel to and from their places ofnormal storage to and from areas or fields to be cultivated, over roughand uneven surfaces rendering it beneficial, if not necessary, that thecultivating devices carried thereby shall be supported thereon so thatthey will be prevented from contact or engagement with the traversedsurfaces lest they be damaged or impede travel; also, that the bodies orframes thereof shall be maintained in substantially level relation tothe surface being traversed and to the towing tractor or other draftmeans at heights fully sufficient to prevent the aforesaid detrimentalcontact or engagement of the cultivating devices with the surfaces ofthe traversed ways or obstacles encountered during crossing, as well asassure a maximum effective towage plus effective vertical adjustment ofthe carried earth-working devices to the required soil-working orcultivating depths.

While attempts have heretofore been made to eliminate or obviate thesedifficulties and to comply with and assure the stated requirements, andearth tilling efficiencies, they have insofar as I am aware, beengenerally unsuccessful, if not impracticaL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Inorder to eliminate the above, the present invention 1 has evolved. It ischaracterized, firstly, in that it provides a novel mechanism forselectively and automatically raising or lowering its body frame to thedesired or required height; secondly, it retains the frame in level orsubstantially level relation to the ground or other surface; thirdly,the cultivating or tilling devices will be carried in effective workingor non-working relation to the soil, as for example, said devices may bevertically and selectively adjusted so that they will engage and tillthe field soil to therequired depth in equally spaced relationship and,when traveling to or from a field site, will be prevented fromcontacting irregular traversed surfaces with resultant damage thereto;fourthly, it provides a novel construction of wheel lift concurrentlyoperable with the operation of the first characterization so that theraising and/or lowering of said frame will be effected, and fifthly, thedraft-tongue connecting the wheeled frame and cultivating devices to atractor or other draft means will be automatically adjusted tocompensate for the raising or lowering of said frame with relationthereto, hence, assuring satisfactory towing effectiveness.

21" OBJECTS or THE INVENTION It is an important object of the inventionto provide an automatically operable leverage arrangement andconstruction by means of which the earth-working means carried by thewheeled carriage can be adjusted vertically to a particularly desiredheight and so retained whereby to effect their depth of engagement withthe field soil being cultivated, to the required or desired extent.

It is also an object of the invention to provide laterally adjustablebrackets on the frame of the earthworking apparatus adapted to securecultivating devices in multiple at each bracket and provide for verticaladjustment of at least one of such devices at each bracket and with theseveral devices spaced at equal intervals and the multiple devices ateach bracket in alignment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other and equally important advantages,benefits, and objectives of the invention will be apparent from areading and an understanding of the following description in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view of a gang type plow arrangementconstructed in accordance with this invention and incorporating colterand chisel type cultivator devices; l

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view to enlarged scale with portionsbroken away and showing the vertical adjustment mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plow arrangement and vertical adjustmentmechanism;

FIG. 4 is adetai view of the lift mechanism illustrating the raisedposition;

FIG. 5 is also a detail view of the lift mechanism but to larger scaleillustrating the lowered position and indicating the raised position inbroken lines; and

FIG. 6 is a detail view taken from the lines 66 of FIG. 5 showing thetelescopic motion limiting device providing a limit stop to rotation ofthe crank axle when lowering the frame.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings 10 representsgenerally a gang type cultivator or plow having a rigid frame 11including transverse members 12 and 13 connected by longitudi-,

nal frame members 14 and 15 at the respectively opposite sides andintermediate longitudinal members 16 and 17. An intermediate transverseframe member 18 connects the longitudinals I6 and 17. Longitudinalmembers 19 and 20 extend between the member 18 and the transverse member12.. These members 19 and 20 are connected by means of shortintermediate transverse framing members 21 and 22 to the intermediatelongitudinal frame members 16 and 17 respectively. A short longitudinalmember 23 connects the frame members 13 and 18. The structure thusdescribed provides a rigid frame for mounting the cultivator devices andraising and lowering mechanisms and enables the cultivator devices to bemounted in relation to the frame structure such that the cultivators areequally spaced laterally to break the soil in equally spaced rows andavoid forces tending to exert a pull in a sidewise direction.

A drawbar or draft tongue 25, having .an adjustable hitch or tow-barconnection 26 at its front end, is pivotally mounted on the rigid frame11 by means of depending brackets 27, at the center, and 28 and 29 atlaterally spaced points secured at the underside of the transverse framemember 12. The structure of the drawbar includes the centrallongitudinal draft tongue 25, which is pivotally carried in the centraldepending bracket 27, and angularly disposed struts 31 and 32, securedat thie converging ends to the draft tongue 25 at a point behind thefront hitch 26 by means of upper and lower gussets 33. The struts 31 and32 extend respectively at an angle to the depending brackets 28 and 29where they are pivotally supported, thus bracing the draft tongue 25against lateral deflection and providing three spaced points of supportfor the draft tongue structure with the pivotal connections at thebrackets, 27, 28 and 29 all on the sameaxis. The draft tongue 25 has anintegral extension 35 extending rearwardly of its pivotal connection tothe supporting bracket 27.

Supporting wheels 36 are mounted on hubs carried by wheel mounts 37which are disposed vertically at all times. The rigid frame 11 iscarried on the wheel mounts 37 and is so mounted as to provide forvertical adjustment relative to the ground. A transversely extendingrotatable crank axle 40 is mounted on thelongitudinal frame members l6,I9, and 17 by means of bearing brackets 38, 39, 41 and 42 which rigidlysupport the crank axle in the rigid frame 11 for rotary motion only. Atrespectively opposite ends of the crank axle 40 a parallel link assembly44 is rigidly fixed to the axle for movement therewith when the axle isrotated. The free end of each of these link assemblies is pivotallyconnected with the respective wheel mounts 37 so that when the crankaxle is rotated the frame 11 is moved upwardly or downwardly relative tothe ground supporting the wheels 36.

The wheel mounts 37 are maintained vertical and the frame ll in agenerally horizontal level condition through the medium of a second pairof parallel links 45 pivotally connected at their free ends to the wheelmounts 37 and at their inner ends pivotally mounted on the rigid framell. The links 45 are disposed parallel to the links 4450 that the pairof parallel links at the respective wheel mounts 37 function like aparallelogram to maintain their wheel mounts vertical and thus keep therigid frame ll horizontally level. The links 45 at their respectiveinner ends are rigidly mounted in a relatively short axle 46 which isrotatively supported in bearing brackets 47 carried by angle bracketstructures 48 rigidly secured at the underside of frame structure ll.The pivotal axis of the axles 46 carrying the links 45 is locateddirectly on the vertical centerline with the crank axle 40 so that withall of the links 44 and 45 being of the same length a true parallelogrameffect is obtained. The wheel mounts 37 may be positioned initiallyrelative to the frame 11 by means of holes 43 which enable adjustment ofthe wheel mounts by positioning the parallel links 44 and 45 for pivotalconnected to the pair of holes in each mount dictated by the desiredrelative positioning of the frame ll and wheels 36.

The crank axle 40 is rotated by power means comprising a hydrauliccylinder mechanism 50 having communication with a suitable source ofhydraulic pressure means. The cylinder end of this mechanism ispivotally mounted on a bracket structure 51 rigidly fixed to thetransverse frame member 12 at its upper side thus forming an abutmentagainst which the cylinder mechanism reacts in operating The plunger endof the cylinder mechanism is pivotally connected to an upper crank arm52 rapidly mounted on-the crank axle 40 which thus rotates the crankaxle according to the direction of actuation of the cylinder mechanism50. A stop device is provided to limit the rotation of the crank axleand associated devices in the direction of operation which lowers theframe llrelative to the wheels 36 and supporting ground surface. Thisstop device is best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and comprises atelescoping link mechanism generally designated 55. One end link member56 of this device is pivotally connected to the upper crank arm 52 oncrank axle 40 while the opposite end structure 57, adapted to receiveand embrace the end link 56 in telescoping relation, is pivotallymounted on a bracket 58 rigidly secured to the underside of thetransverse frame member 18. End structure 57 is comprised of a pair ofspaced links connected at the one end to the bracket 58 and at the endembracing thelink 56 a pair of upper and lower plate members 59 rigidlyconnect the link members to form what might be described as a socket oropening for the reception of the link 56 into the link structure 57.These upper and lower plates 59 are recessed, as best shown in FIG. 6,and a pin 60 fixed in the link 56 after it has been entered into thelink structure 57, engages the recess to limit relative movement ofmembers 56 and 57 in an outward direction. Thus the rotation of crankaxle 40 in the direction tending to extend this stop device 55 isstopped upon the pin 60 entering the recess in plates 59 and this hasthe effect of limiting the lowering movement of the rigid frame 11 andall of the appurtenances mounted thereon. However, the degree oflimitation of this movement is adjustable by means of the plurality ofopenings 61 providedin the link 56 for mounting the pin 60 in any of theopenings according to the amount of travel desired as dictated by theamount of vertical adjustment required to position the frame 11 inaccordance with operating conditions.-

Means are provided automatically to compensate for changes in theoperating height of the rigid frame ll in respect to adjustmentof thedraft tongue 25 whereby to position the draft tongue for proper hitchingrelation and connection to a towing vehicle. The rearward extension 35is adapted to be fulcrumed about the supporting pivot bracket27automatically for this purpose when the crank axle 40 is'rotated. Thecrank axle 40 is provided with a lower crank arm 65 rigidly mountedthereon and rotatable therewith. A connecting link member 66 extendsbetween and is pivotally mounted at its respectively opposite ends onthe lower crank arm 65 adjacent its free end and on the rearwardextension 35 of the draft tongue 25 adjacent the rearend thereof andnear the bottom of the extensions. Thus, when the crank axle 40 isrotated to position, the frame 1 1, as desired, the draft tongue 25 isautomatically and simultaneously adjusted to position the tongue forproper draft connection to the towing vehicle.

A plurality of cultivating devices is mounted on the rigid frame 11 fortilling and cultivating soil in the operation of the earth workingapparatus. A bracket mounting arrangement for the cultivating device isdesigned to accommodate two types of cultivators and is adjustablelaterally on the frame ii for proper positioning of the cultivators andin equally spaced relationship transversely of the frame structure.These brackets are each adapted to mount both a rolling colter type disccultivator and a chisel type plow or cultivatorv As best shown in FIG.1, the brackets comprise upper and lower clamping plate members 67 and68 and a third clamping plate 69 spaced below the lower clamping plate68 and a plurality of clamping bolts 70. The horizontal bar portion 71of a curved mounting bar for a chisel plow or cultivator 72 is mountedbetween the clamp 68 and the clamp plate 69 and when the bolts 70 aretightened the plates 67 and 68 are clamped on the transverse framemember 12 or 13, as the case may be, and the chisel plow mounting barportion 71 is clamped between the lower clamp plate 68 and the thirdclamp plate 69 so that the entire assembly is thus rigidly mountedon thetransverse frame member.

The upper clamp plate 67 and the third clamp plate 69 are also adaptedfor the mounting of the rolling colter plow or cultivating disc 73 inalignment with the chisel plow 72. The plates 67 and 69 are eachprovided with a vertically disposed front plate 74 and 75, respectively,rigidly secured thereto and in vertical alignment. The plates 74 and 75thus afford clamping surfaces in the same plane to which the verticalbar 76 of the colter plow is adapted to be clamped. Clamp plates 77 areengaged over the bar 76 at each bracket and secured tightly by drawingup the bolts provided for that purpose.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a cultivating apparatus has beenprovided wherein simple and effective means enable quick and positiveadjustment of the rigid frame upwardly and downwardly between raisedpositions for travel to and from operating locations and a loweredoperative position for tilling soil at such locations. The raisedportion of the frame lifts the cultivating devices clear of any groundobstructions for free travel between the operating locations while thelowered position locates the cultivating devices in proper relation tothe soil to be tilled. The tow bar for the cultivating apparatus isautomatically positioned for proper hitch connection to a towing vehiclewhere the frame is raised for towing. The cultivating devices areadjustably mounted on the fixed frame by means of brackets affordingmultiple mounts for a plurality of cultivating devices on each bracket.Finally, limit means are provided to control the positioning of theframe and tilling devices with respect to the depth of penetration intothe soil to be utilized during tilling operations.

It is importantto note that the design of the lifting mechanism of thisinvention is such that the chisel plows are maintained at an even depthat all times and in respect to the depth of fertilizers. As an example,with the chisel plows set for operation at a depth of inches in aparticular type of soil, if another type of soil is encountered suchthat the tractor pulling the plow is incapable of pulling it at the teninch depth it becomes necessary to raise the chisel plows to a depth ofsix inches. In these circumstances, all of the chisel plows wouldcontinue to operate at an even depth, both front and rear, at theadjusted depth of six inches. This is very important particularly withcertain fertilizers where with this arrangement the fertilizer wouldcontinue at an even depth and thus keep gas sealed in the 6 soil.

' What is claimed is:

1. An earth working apparatus having a rigid frame mounted on supportingwheels and carrying a plurality of earth working devices, a draft tonguehaving a pivotal mounting on said frame adapted to be hitched to atowing vehicle, said draft tongue having an extension thereof inwardlyof said frame beyond said pivotal mounting, a vertically disposed wheelmount for each of said supporting wheels, a rotary crank axle mountedtransversely on said frame having a horizontal axis, a longitudinallyextending link connecting each of said wheel mounts with said rotarycrank axle, said links each comprising a crank arm operative from saidcrank axle, a second longitudinally extending link vertically spacedrelative to each of the first links, said second links being parallelto'the first links and of the same length as the first links andrespectively connecting said wheel mounts with a respectively associatedaxle mounted on said frame having a horizontal axis in verticalalignment with the axis of said rotary axle whereby said respectivewheel mounts are constrained to vertical movement in respectivelyvertical positions throughout their extent of travel between raised andlowered positions, power means to rotate said crank axle whereby saidfirst links comprise laterally spaced crank arms to impart verticalmovement of the wheel mounts, said second links acting to maintain thevertical position of each wheel mount during movement between saidraised and lowered positions, an upper crank arm provided on the crankaxle disposed intermediate said first links, said power means havingoperative engagement at one end thereof with said upper crank arm torotate the crank axle, a pivotal connection at the opposite end of thepower means on said frame, a telescoping link connection extendingbetween said upper crank arm and said frame to limit rotation of thecrank axle in a direction that lowers the frame relative to said wheelmounts to fix the operating height of said earth working devices for theoperations of said apparatus, a depending crank arm centrally disposedon said crank axle, and a link connecting said depending crank arm withsaid inward extension of said draft tongue to compensate for adjustmentsin height of the frame to effect normal hitching to said towing vehicleand maintain the frame and draft tongue substantially level uponrotation of the crank axle.

2. An earth working apparatus as set forth in claim I 1 wherein saidpower means comprises a hydraulically actuated cylinder mechanism, andsaid telescoping link connection includes adjustable stop means wherebythe limit of rotation of the crank axle may be varied to position saidframe in accordance with said earth working operations.

3. An earth working apparatus as set forth in claim I wherein saidsecond links are independent of each other at opposite sides of theframe and said respectively associated axles are spaced apart axiallyand independently of each other at opposite sides of the frame, andrespectively associated pivot bearings mounting said axles at each sideon the frame.

* =l a: a

lml'wm s'r/wacs iA'iI'lN'l uwlizla I CERTLHQATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No.3, 812, 919 Dated May 2&, 197A 7/ Invenwfls) Herbert W, Baugmmn andHarrv G. Yetter It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 12, "adjustably" should be --adjust able-; Column 2, line36, detai" should. be "detail"; Column 3, line 10, "thie" should be--their; Column 3, lines 59 and 60. "connected" should be -conneccion--;Column 4, line 3, "operating" should be "operations-*3 Column line 5,"rapidly" should be "rigidly".

Signed and sealed this 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. An earth working apparatus having a rigid frame mounted on supportingwheels and carrying a plurality of earth working devices, a draft tonguehaving a pivotal mounting on said frame adapted to be hitched to atowing vehicle, said draft tongue having an extension thereof inwardlyof said frame beyond said pivotal mounting, a vertically disposed wheelmount for each of said supporting wheels, a rotary crank axle mountedtransversely on said frame having a horizontal axis, a longitudinallyextending link connecting each of said wheel mounts with said rotarycrank axle, said links each comprising a crank arm operative from saidcrank axle, a second longitudinally extending link vertically spacedrelative to each of the first links, said second links being parallel tothe first links and of the same length as the first links andrespectively connecting said wheel mounts with a respectively associatedaxle mounted on said frame having a horizontal axis in verticalalignment with the axis of said rotary axle whereby said respectivewheel mounts are constrained to vertical movement in respectivelyvertical positions throughout their extent of travel between raised andlowered positions, power means to rotate said crank axle whereby saidfirst links comprise laterally spaced crank arms to impart verticalmovement of the wheel mounts, said second links acting to maintain thevertical position of each wheel mount during movement between saidraised and lowered positions, an upper crank arm provided on the crankaxle disposed intermediate said first links, said power means havingoperative engagement at one end thereof with said upper crank arm torotate the crank axle, a pivotal connection at the opposite end of thepower means on said frame, a telescoping link connection extendingbetween said upper crank arm and said frame to limit rotation of thecrank axle in a direction that lowers the frame relative to said wheelmounts to fix the operating height of said earth working devices for theoperations of said apparatus, a depending crank arm centrally disposedon said crank axle, and a link connecting said depending crank arm withsaid inward extension of said draft tongue to compensate for adjustmentsin height of the frame to effect normal hitching to said towing vehicleand maintain the frame and draft tongue substantially level uponrotation of the crank axle.
 2. An earth working apparatus as set forthin claim 1 wherein said power means comprises a hydraulically actuatedcylinder mechanism, and said telescoping link connection includesadjustable stop means whereby the limit of rotation of the crank axlemay be varied to position said frame in accordance with said earthworking operations.
 3. An earth working apparatus as set forth in claim1 wherein said second links are independent of each other at oppositesides of the frame and said respectively associated axles are spacedapart axially and independently of each other at opposite sides of theframe, and respectively associated pivot bearings mounting said axles ateach side on the frame.